The invention relates to a wind deflector for a convertible vehicle wherein the wind deflector is supported on vertical guide tracks so as to be movable between a lowered and a raised position by a wind deflector operating mechanism.
Wind deflectors are arranged in convertible vehicles behind the vehicle seats when the vehicle top is open in a position such that they extend upwardly beyond the heads of the occupants in order to avoid exposure of the occupants to turbulent air movements. Upon opening of the vehicle top and its placement into a storage compartment behind the vehicle seats, the wind deflector is moved from a lowered position behind the vehicle front seats to raised position. When the vehicle top is closed, the wind deflector must be in a lowered position in order to avoid interference with the vehicle top.
DE 198 41 788 A1 discloses a wind deflector which is slidably supported in guide tracks provided at the backside of the backrests of the vehicle seats. The deflectors can be moved manually vertically between a lowered and a raised position. In order to prevent unwanted backsliding of the deflector from the raised position to the lowered position, the deflector can be locked in the raised position by a locking mechanism.
This wind deflector however has the disadvantage that it must be moved by hand from one position to the other and before it can be moved out of the raised position, the lock must be manually released. For raising and for lowering the wind deflector, the driver must actually leave the vehicle. This deflector is therefore cumbersome to operate.
DE 198 26 672 A1 also discloses a wind deflector for a convertible vehicle which is slideably supported on vertical tracks disposed behind the vehicle seats between a lower rest position and an upwardly extended operating position. The movement of the wind deflector is coupled with a roll bar, which is adjustable between a lowered position and an upwardly extended operating position. During normal vehicle operation, the roll bar is in an intermediate position between the lowered rest position and the extended operating position. The wind deflector is automatically moved with the roll bar. Wind deflector and roll bar are firmly interconnected and movable only in unison between the lowered and extended positions. For the adjustment, a special drive is provided which is independent of the vehicle top operating mechanism. This requires an independent actuation of the vehicle top operating mechanism and the roll bar drive that is the operating signals must be coordinated.
In a particular embodiment of the wind deflector and roll bar operating arrangement as disclosed in DE 198 26 672 A1, the deflector movement can be uncoupled from the roll bar movement when, in the case of a vehicle roll-over accident, the roll bar is fully extended. In that case, the wind deflector remains in the position it is in before the roll-over accident and only the roll bar is extended. A coordinated movement of the wind deflector with the vehicle top during normal closing and opening of the top is not disclosed in DE 198 26 672 A1.
DE 43 32 938 C1 discloses a convertible vehicle with an adjustable vehicle top and a wind deflector, which is pivotable about a transverse vehicle axis, and, which is coupled with the vehicle top operating mechanism so that opening of the vehicle top results in an upward pivoting of the wind deflector. The wind deflector and the vehicle top are kinematically interconnected so that for any position of the vehicle top during movement between the closed and the storage position, there is a corresponding wind deflector position. Since the wind deflector and the vehicle top are moved in unison, a sufficiently large space for the movement of the wind deflector must be provided, which space must not be intruded by the top or the top operating mechanism during transfer movement thereof between the closed and the storage positions. As a result, there are substantial restraints for the design of the vehicle top or, respectively, its path of movement during the transfer.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a wind deflector for a convertible vehicle, which is simple and convenient to operate. Particularly, the wind deflector should not require much space and, in a raised position, it should be safely fixed in its position.
In a wind deflector operating mechanism for a convertible an adjustable top, wherein the wind deflector is supported by vertical guide rails so as to be movable between lowered and raised positions and the vehicle top is movable between a closed position and a storage position, a drive mechanism for opening and closing the vehicle top is adapted to engage an operating linkage for raising and lowering the wind deflector in such a way that movement of the wind deflector occurs only during certain movement phases of the drive mechanism.
The wind deflector according to the invention is supported by guide tracks arranged behind the vehicle seats so as to be movable vertically between a lowered and a raised position. The movement of the wind deflector is achieved by an operating mechanism, which is actuated automatically by the drive mechanism for the vehicle top by which the vehicle top is moved between the closed and the storage positions. Since the drive mechanism for the vehicle top and the operating mechanism for the wind deflector are interconnected, a single drive unit is sufficient for operating the vehicle top as well as the wind deflector. Important for the operation is from which movement part of the vehicle top drive mechanism the movement of the wind deflector is derived. The vehicle top drive and the wind deflector operating mechanism are preferably mechanically coupled so that, for each position of the vehicle top, there is a corresponding position of the wind deflector.
Furthermore, the wind deflector operating mechanism may be uncoupled from the top drive whereby the movement of the vehicle top and the movement of the wind deflector may be coordinated in a non-linear manner. In this way with a continuous movement of the top between its closed and its storage position, only certain movement phases of the vehicle top may be utilized for operating the wind deflector. Also during certain movement phases of the top, the movement of the wind deflector may be accelerated or retarded or, respectively, delayed with respect to the movement of the top.
With the non-linear coupling of the top drive and wind deflector operating mechanism, it is possible to provide for movement of the wind deflector only during certain phases of the top movement. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the wind deflector is raised subsequently to the transfer movement of the vehicle top from the closed to the storage position. To this end, the wind deflector operating mechanism is uncoupled from the top drive for certain operating phases. Preferably, at the beginning of the opening movement of the vehicle top when the wind deflector is still in the lowered position, the wind deflector operating mechanism is first uncoupled from the top drive mechanism so that in the first phase of the top opening movement only the vehicle top is moved while the wind deflector remains in its lowered position behind the vehicle seats. When the vehicle top is deposited in its storage compartment, the wind deflector operating mechanism is coupled to the top drive mechanism for movement from the lowered to the raised position. During operation of the wind deflector, the vehicle top may be uncoupled from the vehicle top drive. In this way, the top drive can be used to operate the vehicle top as well as the wind deflector.
During movement in the opposite directionxe2x80x94transfer of the vehicle top from the storage position to the closed positionsxe2x80x94the operational step also occurs in the opposite sense: first, the wind deflector is lowered from the raised position to the lower position. Subsequently, the vehicle top is moved out of the storage position to the closed position in which it covers the passenger compartment. In this direction of movement, the wind deflector is first coupled to the drive and the drive is coupled to the top drive mechanism only after the wind deflector has been lowered to its lowered position and the drive has been uncoupled from the wind deflector operating mechanism.
The out-of-phase operation of the wind deflector and the vehicle top has the advantage that interference between the vehicle top and the wind deflector is avoided. The path of movement of the vehicle top can cross the path of movement of the wind deflector without interference. As a result, the top may be compact and relatively low and an inclined rear end area may be provided.
The coupling and uncoupling of the top drive and respectively, the wind deflector operating mechanism is preferably achieved with a hydraulic operating mechanism, that is, preferably a hydraulic cylinder arrangement which, in the various different phases of the opening or, respectively, closing movement of the top, actuates either the vehicle top or the wind deflector. The full stroke of the hydraulic cylinder is divided into two partial stroke movements such that, with the first partial stroke, solely the vehicle top is operated. With a second partial stroke, which is preferably shorter than the first partial stroke, only the wind deflector is operated by the hydraulic cylinder. (Vice versa during the closing procedure.) In this way, it is possible to operate the wind deflector and the vehicle top with a common drive unit in a sequenced manner.
The coupling of the wind deflector operating mechanism to the vehicle top drive for the transmission of the partial stroke movement of the hydraulic cylinder and the uncoupling therefrom is achieved preferably by a coupling and uncoupling device arranged in the motion transmission path between the drive unitxe2x80x94the hydraulic cylinderxe2x80x94and the kinematic operating mechanism for the wind deflector. Freewheeling transmission elements, coupling members or similar devices may be used.
For joining the wind deflector operating mechanism to the vehicle top drive, preferably an operating arm is provided by way of which the wind deflector can be moved between the lowered and the raised positions. The operating arm is preferably pivotally supported on the vehicle body and is pivoted about its pivot axis by the vehicle top drive for actuating the wind deflector. In order to convert the pivot movement of the operating arm to a vertical movement of the wind deflector, a slide track is provided on the wind deflector, in which the operating arm is movably guided. When the operating arm is pivoted by the vehicle top drive about its pivot axis, the end of the operating arm guided along the wind deflector describes a partial circular movement with a vertical motion component. The horizontal motion component is accommodated by the slide track, which extends preferably horizontally.
An embodiment of the invention will be described below in greater detail on the basis of the accompanying drawings.